Thill-tug.



PATENTED SEPT. 26, 1905. L. W. ASHLEY.

THILL TUG.

APPLICATION FILED OUT. 11, 1904,

all I zww M wig 711,5 dlzfyjs UNITED STATES LEONARD IV. ASHLEY, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS.

THILL-TUGa Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Sept. 26, 1905;

Application filed October 17, 1904:. Serial No. 228,735;

To (all whom 711; may conccrm.

Be it known that I, LEONARD W. ASHLEY, a citizen of the United States, residing at Ohicago, in the county of Cook and State of Illinois, have invented new and useful Improve ments in Thill-Tugs, of which the following is a specification, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, forming a part thereof.

This invention relates to an attachment for harness for supporting the shafts of a vehicle.

It consists of the features of construction set out in the claims.

In the drawings, Figure 1 is a rear elevation of the shaft-support which constitutes this invention shown in connection with the adjacent parts of the harness, the shaft being shown in section in position in the eye or loop provided for its support. Fig. 2 is a similar view of the same with the shaft omitted, the shaft-holding loop or eye being opened for disengagement from the shaft. Fig. 3 is an outer side elevation. Fig. 4 is a section at the line A d on Fig. 1. Fig. 5 is a section at the line 5 5 on Fig. 1, the belly-strap and shaft being omitted. Fig. 6 is a View similar to Fig. 1, showing a modification.

The specific purpose of this shaft-support is to render the attachment and disengagement of the shaft therefrom as easy and simple as possible and to permit such application or disengagement without longitudinal movement of the shaft or any movement of the horse. For this purpose it consists of a metal fitting constituting the shaft loop or eye and comprising also the buckle for attachment of the device to the harness or saddle, said fitting comprising an inner and an outer member hinged together at the lower side. The inner member 1 has integral with it at the upper end the buckle 2. The outer member 3 is hinged, as stated, at the lower end to the inner member, and at the upper end it has an oblong eye 4:, which receives a staple 5, secured rigidly in the inner member 1 just below the buckle 2. The said inner member 1 has at the lower side, just inward from the hinge, a strap-aperture 6, through which the two ends 7 and 8 of a double or double-ended belly-strap 9 extend. One of the ends 7 at the inner side of the eye or loop is secured to the member 1 just below the buckle 9. and the staple 5, being conveniently made to serve as part of the means of securing it in this position, since said strap end extends up past the staple, so that it may be doubled back for insertion through it when said staple has been entered through the oblong eye 4: inclosing the shaft eye or loop around the shaft. The outer end 8 ofthe bellystrap is secured at the upper end to the outer m'ember 2 of the shaft eye or loop just below the oblong eye L of the latter. The inner end 7 of the belly-strap is preferably secured to the member 1, as stated, by means in addition to the staple 5, as by the bolts or rivets 10 10 and the clamping-plate 11, the latter serving also as additional means of rendering the staple 5 rigid with the member 1. The belly-strap 9 may be rendered doubleended for the purpose of affording the tWo terminals which line the shaft-eye, and are connected to its two members, respectively, either by splicing one of the end pieces onto the other below the shaft-eye, as seen in Fig. 1, or by folding the belly-strap so that its two ends both extend up through the shaftaperture 6, a metal loop 12 being engaged in the fold of the strap to afford means for connecting the corresponding straps from the two sides by a buckled junction-strap 13.

It will be noticed that the two ends of the belly-strap extend loosely through the strapaperture 6 of the inner member 1, their fastening to the members, respectively, being at the upper side of the loop, so that all the stress to which the belly-strap may be exposed, either in tightening the girth upon the animal or otherwise, causes the two strap ends to be drawn tightly onto the shaft and to grip it with a tendency to prevent slipping. It will be understood also that regardless of this gripping tendency the two strap ends constitute a lining for the metal loop members, which is necessary to save the shaft from the wear to which it would be exposed if it came in direct contact With the metal.

I claim 1. A thill-tug comprising a metal loop or eye for holding the shaft, consisting of two members hinged together at the lower side; means for attaching the inner member to the harness at the upper side, said inner member having at the lower side inward from the hinge a strap-aperture; a double-ended belly-strap having its two ends extending through said aperture, one of the ends being secured above the eye to the inner member, and the other being secured above the eye to the outer memher, the inner member having above the eye a staple, and the outer member having at the upper end a loop or eye to receive the staple, one of the strap ends being extended beyond its fastening to the member at which it is attached at the upper side of the shaft eye or loop, adapted to be entered through the staple.

2. A thill-tug comprising a loop or eye for receiving the shaft consisting of two members hinged together at the lower side; means for engaging the two members when they are closed together at the upper side, the inner member havingat the lower side inward from? the hinge a strap-aperture, and a double-ended belly-strap having both ends extending loosely through the aperture and secured at the upper side of the loop members to said members respectively.

3. A thill-tug comprising a loop or eye for 

